Revenge
by MUFFIEDIAST
Summary: Sesshomaru's twin sister appears in time to save Inuyasha? But why has she appeared? And why does she have Shikon Shards? (interesting relationship between Inuyasha's sister and Miroku, plus Sango's jealousy) (more than one chapter, additions will be made
1. The Beginning of This Tale

**FOR THE READER: I am not a fan of the English translation of the series, and have become a fan of Inuyasha through   
  
watching subtitled Japanese episodes. That is the main reason why I have used Japanese wording for   
  
some parts of this story. For those of you unaware the following words are the translations that I have   
  
picked up from the series:  
  
  
  
1) Hanyou = Half Demon  
  
2) Youaki = Full Demon  
  
3) Taiyoukai = Great / Monster Demon  
  
4) Shikon no Tama = Sacred Jewel  
  
5) Housi-sama = respectful term for a Buddhist monk  
  
  
  
If I have missed any, please email me at edendays@hotmail.com or at unbctiffanydias@hotmail.com to inform me of these, and I will try to fix this page, as soon as possible, sincerely  
  
muffiedias  
  
* All original characters from the Inuyasha series are copyrighted and belong to Rumiko Takahashi (the creator of the series)  
  
Any new characters are copyrighted by me, and therefore, are my property :) Enjoy the story :)  
  
The sun had just set, meaning that night had finally come to the land of Feudal Japan as Kagome and the others finally came to a stop. After a long day of looking for Shikon no Tama shards, the group was tired and Inuyasha was incredibly sore due to Kagome using an incredibly STRONG sit command earlier that day. It did not take them long to set up a fire and in matter of a minutes, Kagome had drifted off to sleep, Shippo using Kagome and her sleeping bag as a pillow. Kirara, meanwhile, had decided to curl up right behind Sango, who was still wide awake, along with Miroku and Inuyasha.  
  
"I hate these kinds of areas," Inuyasha complained, leaning up against a tree. This night the group had chosen to rest and sleep in a small little clearing in a small dense forest.   
  
"Why, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, "Tonight's not the night when you become human, so you are you so jumpy?"  
  
"Could it be that he's worried about Sesshomaru coming after him?" Sango asked, "After all, the last battle Inuyasha fought against him really must have dealt a strong blow to his ego. If it weren't for Tenseiga, then Sesshomaru would be dead right now."  
  
"So, you're saying that Inuyasha's afraid of being attacked by his older brother when he's not expecting it?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Well, considering how powerful Sesshomaru is compared to him, wouldn't you be?" Sango asked.  
  
"Shut up you idiots!" Inuyasha barked angrily at the two of them. "I'm not afraid of Sesshomaru!"  
  
"Then why are you so jumpy, Inuyasha?" Sango asked him with an arrogant smile.  
  
Inuyasha glared at Sango angrily, not really have a response for her. Then quickly, before anyone could register what he was about to do, Inuyasha smacked Miroku hard on the back of the head.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" Miroku exclaimed, confused why he was the one who was hit when it was Sango who had made the remark that had really pissed off Inuyasha.  
  
"I'll be back in a bit," Inuyasha stated as he quickly stood to his feet, and placing one hand on Tetsusaiga, left the little camping area.  
  
"Why the hell did he hit me instead of you?" Miroku asked, still confused.  
  
Smiling, Sango replied, "Because I would've hit him back."   
  
Still grumbling about why he had been hit when he hadn't said anything really offensive, Miroku leaned against the trunk of one of the closest trees and, within minutes, fell asleep. Sango only smiled and leaned back against Kirara, wondering how long it would take for Inuyasha to return.  
  
Stupid Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha thought to himself as he wandered out of the forested area and into an open, grassy field. I'm not afraid of Sesshomaru, I'm just being careful, that's all.   
  
"Yeah, I'm just being careful," Inuyasha muttered to himself, "I'm not afraid of Sesshomaru."  
  
"Oh, but you should be," came a familiar voice from somewhere inside the forest.   
  
Hearing this voice, Inuyasha froze. Shit! was the first thought that came to Inuyasha's mind as he recognized the voice. Quickly, his hand grasped the handle of Tetsusaiga and he pulled it out.  
  
"What? Almost being killed wasn't enough for you, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha mocked his older brother.  
  
"Without Tetsusaiga you never would have even gotten close, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru replied confidently.  
  
"Oh? Are you forgetting the battle we fought in father's grave?" Inuyasha reminded him.  
  
"A fight you were only able to win with the help of Tetsusaiga," Sesshomaru replied, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the fight against Inuyasha where he lost his left arm.   
  
"I can beat you easily," Inuyasha replied.  
  
"With an evil smile, Sesshomaru said, "A hanyou such as yourself, Inuyasha, could never beat a full youkai like myself. To get even close, you had to have the help of our father."  
  
"Oh yeah? Let's see about that." Quickly, Inuyasha placed Tetsusaiga back in it's sheath and rushed his older brother. Grinning, Sesshomaru tensed himself up, preparing his counter-attack.   
  
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Miroku quickly woke up and sat to attention.  
  
"Sango, do you sense that?" he asked quickly, then, noticing that Sango was nowhere to be seen, he asked, "Sango?"  
  
"I sense it, Houshi-sama," Sango replied, appearing from behind a tree dressed in her black leather fighting suit and armor.   
  
"This strong youki," Miroku began, "The last time I sensed this was when Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were fighting."  
  
"Inuyasha's not back yet," Sango informed him.  
  
"You don't think . . .?" Miroku began but Sango nodded.  
  
"It's Inuyasha, and I do think," she replied, "Those two idiots are at it again. Let's wake Kagome and Shippo."  
  
Miroku nodded. "With youki this strong, their battle should be easy to find."  
  
"Kagome? Shippo?" Sango said quietly, trying not to scare the two of them.  
  
"Hmm, Sango?" Kagome murmured slowly waking up. Then suddenly noticing that there was no Inuyasha telling her to hurry and wake up, Kagome asked, "Where's Inuyasha?"  
  
"He wandered off not too soon after you went to sleep," Miroku replied.   
  
"Kagome, we think he ran into Sesshomaru," Sango informed her, "Miroku and I sense great youki coming from just outside the forest."  
  
"Sango's right, Kagome. The last time I sensed such youki as this was the last time that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were fighting."  
  
"What? Inuyasha's fighting Sesshomaru again? Stupid Inuyasha," Shippo said, immediately standing up.   
  
"We have to go to him," Kagome said, worry in her voice.   
  
"That's the plan," Sango replied. Then, turning to look at her cat she said, "Kirara!"   
  
Immediately, the small cat transformed and went to Sango's side. Quickly, the four of them climbed onto Kirara's back, Kagome making sure to grab her bow and arrows and Sango making sure that she had her Hiraikotsu with her. Within minutes, they were off in the direction where the youki was coming from.   
  
"Give it up, Inuyasha! And allow yourself to die a death that suits a hanyou like yourself," Sesshomaru informed his older brother as he effortlessly jumped to avoid being hit by Tetsusaiga. Before Inuyasha could even counter, Sesshomaru kicked Inuyasha back with so much force that he slammed against a tree.   
  
Although the two brothers had only been fighting for a short while, Inuyasha was already bleeding from several wounds inflicted by his older sibling. Thankfully, however, Inuyasha had so far been able to avoid any direct attacks from Sesshomaru's poisonous hand.   
  
"SHUT U-!" Inuyasha began but was interrupted by a cry of "INUYASHA!"   
  
Hearing this all too familiar cry, Inuyasha turned his head only to see Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Miroku coming out of the forest on Kirara's back.   
  
Sesshomaru, meanwhile, deciding to take advantage of the fact that his younger sibling was momentarily distracted took that moment to rush at Inuyasha, his poison claw outstretched and poised to attack.   
  
"INUYASHA!"  
  
He was only inches away from his brother by the time that Inuyasha finally noticed Sesshomaru coming towards him. DAMNIT! Inuyasha thought and tensed himself up to prepare for the impact of the attack.   
  
I've got him, Sesshomaru thought with a smile as he lunged at his brother, not even an inch away from him when suddenly, out of nowhere, he felt something huge and furry grab him around the waist and throw him aside. What the fuck? he wondered, unsure of what had prevented him just then from attacking Inuyasha.  
  
"Kaiya?" he heard his younger brother ask somewhat in disbelief.  
  
Meanwhile, Kagome's eyes widened as she felt a familiar feeling. There were Shikon no Tama shards nearby.   
  
Quickly Sesshomaru focused on the figure that had gotten in his way and he growled. He could now see that the thing that was huge and furry that had thrown him aside was a huge paw, equal to the size of his own when he, himself, was transformed into his true self. The paw belonged to an owner that looked almost identical to Sesshomaru's transformed self.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kaiya?" he demanded angrily as he approached Inuyasha.   
  
"I could be asking you the same question, Sesshomaru," the person demanded once they had transformed from to their human form, "I mean, I know you're jealous that father left Inuyasha Tetsusaiga, but get over it. It's not like you could ever use it, anyways."   
  
Hearing this conversation, Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. If what this newcomer said was true, than that meant that Inuyasha had a sister!  
  
"Kaiya get out of the way!" Inuyasha demanded suddenly, interrupting their conversation.   
  
"And let you two continue to fight again? You two really are stupid, aren't you?" Kaiya said, turning to look at her younger brother. Then, without even turning to look at Sesshomaru, she warned, "Don't even think about it. You know you'll be back on your butt before you could even get close. Or don't you remember the last time?"  
  
Annoyed, Sesshomaru glared at his twin sister then turned so that he was looking at Inuyasha. "This isn't over, Inuyasha!" And with those as final words, he disappeared into the forest.   
  
"What did you think you were doing, Kaiya?" Inuyasha demanded angrily. "You had no right to interfere!"  
  
"Do you really think I was going to allow you two to continue?" Kaiya asked. "What I can't believe is that you two are still fighting even after all this time."   
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried suddenly, jumping off of Kirara and running towards him, being quickly followed by Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, wrapping his arms around her.   
  
"Excuse me," Miroku began, as he approached the woman standing in front of Inuyasha and Kagome, "but would you please. . ." Then, placing his hands on top of both of hers, he continued, "Bear my child?"   
  
Without even a chance to reply, both Inuyasha and Sango smacked Miroku so hard that he wound up with his face in the grass.   
  
"That might actually be fun," Kaiya said with a smile.   
  
Hearing this reply, Sango's eyes widened in disbelief. Had she heard this woman correctly?  
  
"Maybe after," Kaiya said. Then, turning to Inuyasha, she asked him, "Are the rumors true?"  
  
"What rumors?" Inuyasha asked unaware that there were any, as Sango glared at the newcomer.   
  
"That you're traveling with a bunch of humans, trying to collect all the fragments of the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
"Who are you?" Sango demanded, with no hint of even an attempt at being polite to this stranger.  
  
"Who am I?" Kaiya repeated. "I'm Inuyasha's sister."  
  
"Sister?" Sango repeated.  
  
The female youkai nodded. "Well, half-sister," she replied, "Technically, I'm Sesshomaru's twin, Kaiya."   
  
"S. . . Sesshomaru's twin?" Shippo asked, making sure he had heard right. He had never heard of Inuyasha's older brother having a twin. Although, Kaiya being Sesshomaru's twin did explain why she looked eerily similar to Inuyasha's older brother. In fact, the two youkais looked almost identical, with only a few exceptions. Where the lines on Sesshomaru's cheeks were purple, this person's lines were baby blue, and where the crescent moon on Sesshomaru's forehead was facing his right, this person's crescent moon was facing her left. The style of the clothing that this newcomer wore was also similar to Sesshomaru's, only where Sesshomaru's clothes were white and red, this person's clothing was white and blue. Her eyes, however, were identical to Sesshomaru's and the only way her hair was different was that she had no bangs to frame her forehead.   
  
"Yeah," Kaiya replied.  
  
"B. . . but you're not evil, right?" Kagome asked, confused. "I mean, you saved Inuyasha back there, a-"  
  
"I WAS NOT SAVED!" Inuyasha yelled in anger, interrupting Kagome.  
  
"Okay, whatever," Kagome said, waving off Inuyasha's little outburst, "You stopped Sesshomaru from attacking Inuyasha."  
  
"No," Kaiya replied, "Just because I'm Sesshomaru's twin doesn't mean we think the same way. . . Kagome, was it?"  
  
Kagome nodded her head in reply.  
  
"Sesshomaru and I see quite differently when it comes to humans, hanyous, and youkais," Kaiya replied. Then, turning to Inuyasha, she repeated, "Are the rumors true?"  
  
"Yeah," Inuyasha replied, "Why?"  
  
"Than here," Kaiya replied, stepping over to her brother. Motioning for him to open his hand, he did so and she dropped a few shards into them.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked confused. Why wasn't Kaiya keeping the shards for herself?  
  
"These shards belonged to my husband, Toshiro and my son, Michio," she informed him as she closed his hand over the shards.  
  
"What do you mean belonged, Kaiya?" Kagome asked, uncertainly but at the same time afraid to hear the answer, fearing what it meant.  
  
"They were killed by a powerful youkai who was in search of these shards," Inuyasha's older sister explained, "Apparently this youkai has already collected quite a few of them."  
  
"Youkai?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Yes. A youkai named Naraku."  
  
"NARAKU!" everyone had exclaimed.  
  
"You've heard of Naraku?" Kaiya asked, surprised by their reaction.  
  
"He's an evil bastard," Sango informed her.   
  
"Yes," Miroku replied, "We have heard of Naraku. He is the one who has cursed my family, and not only is he responsible for the murder of Sango's entire village and family, but he has also taken control of Sango's little brother, Kohaku."   
  
"He is also the one who murdered Kikyou fifty years ago," Inuyasha growled.   
  
"Kikyou?" Kaiya asked, "The priestess who used to guard the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
"Yes," Miroku replied, noticing how Kagome had let go of Inuyasha at the mention of Kikyou's name.   
  
"Kaiya, are you also looking for revenge against Naraku?" Kagome asked, feeling sorry for the woman who had lost her husband and son.   
  
"That evil bastard WILL die by my hands for what he did," Kaiya stated angrily looking at Kagome.  
  
"Well, there's the family resemblance," Shippo whispered in Sango's ear.  
  
Sango only smiled and nodded, all the while keeping one eye on Miroku who was standing too close to Kaiya for Sango's liking.   
  
"Well, why don't you join us then?" Miroku asked with a wide smile.   
  
"Join you?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Why not?" Kagome suggested. "We're not only searching for Shikon shards, but we're also searching and trying to destroy Naraku for everything that he has done. We could always use help."  
  
"Hmm, that's an interesting idea," Kaiya said smiling flirtatiously at Miroku and giving him the once over, "I haven't been in the company of such a handsome man in a long while."   
  
"So I guess it's settled then," Kagome said somewhat uneasily, aware of Sango watching Kaiya and Miroku, the latter of whom was smiling idiotically.   
  
"So do we get to go back to sleep now?" Shippo asked, yawning. Although he had been quite awake the entire time, he was suddenly realizing that he was very tired.  
  
"There's still a few hours before the sun rises," Inuyasha began, "Not a lot though. I think it's better if we just continue our journey. Kagome, do you sense any Shikon shards nearby?"  
  
"No," she replied, stifling a yawn, "Not since Kaiya handed you hers."   
  
"Inuyasha, it's obvious that your friends are still tired," Kaiya informed her little brother, "Why don't you just go back to where all of you were set up for the night so that they can get some more sleep?"  
  
"Us?" Inuyasha repeated.  
  
"Yeah," Kaiya said with a nod, then looking up into the night sky, continued, "I still have some stuff to do before we leave tomorrow morning."   
  
Inuyasha glared at Kaiya before turning to look at the others. Reluctantly, he agreed, seeing the tired looks on everyone's faces except for Sango's, which just looked upset for some reason. The group was turning to leave, when Kagome said, "But Kaiya, you don't know where we're staying tonight."  
  
"She'll be able to find us anyways, stupid," Inuyasha snorted.  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome, he's right" Kaiya said with a smile, then turning to look at her little brother, she warned, "Be nicer to her, Inuyasha. Just because I'm not like Sesshomaru doesn't meant I won't discipline you like him."  
  
"I'M NOT DISCIPLINED BY ANYONE!" Inuyasha cried out.  
  
"With the exception of Kagome," Miroku muttered to himself more than anyone.  
  
Hearing this remark, Kaiya smiled curious as to what the monk meant by it but not bothering to find out. She had more important matters that she needed to deal with right now. Quickly, she transformed herself from the human figure standing before the group to the giant wolf figure that she had been when she had first appeared, and left at a run.   
  
As soon as Kaiya was gone, Inuyasha smacked Miroku hard on the head, once again causing him to smash into the ground.  
  
"What did I do?" Miroku asked, innocently looking up at the hanyou. "What did I do?"  
  
Inuyasha's only response to Miroku's cries was an angry glare. Meanwhile, Sango, Shippou and Kagome climbed onto Kirara's back. Once the three of them were comfortably settled on Kirara's back, Kirara turned and headed back towards their campsite.   
  
"He never learns," Shippou muttered, shaking his head. "He never learns."  
  
Sighing, Miroku followed the group behind Kirara, Inuyasha walking behind the large cat.   
  
  
  
"SESSHOMARU!"   
  
Startled by the loud voice calling his name and knowing that there was only one person he knew who would ever dare to call his name in that tone, the youkai turned to face his sister who was just landing a few feet away from him, already transformed into her human form.  
  
"What do you want, Kaiya?" Sesshomaru asked, too annoyed to sound bored. "Was stopping my fight with Inuyasha earlier not enough for you?"  
  
"What the hell are you still after Tetsusaiga for?" Kaiya asked him, annoyed by her twin sibling.   
  
Sesshomaru only glared at Kaiya. "What business is it of yours?"   
  
"It's my business when you try to kill our little brother, Sesshomaru," Kaiya informed him, the tone of her voice suddenly becoming more serious. "Just because he's a hanyou gives you no ri-"  
  
"HE IS BENEATH US, KAIYA!" Sesshomaru roared at his older sister. "ANY HANYOU IS!"  
  
In flash, Kaiya ran towards him, her left hand outstretched. Before he could even move out of the way, Kaiya had her hand grasped around his throat. "So," she began, the anger in her eyes so strong that it even frightened Sesshomaru slightly, "When you say that any hanyou is beneath us, does that include my son? Is your distaste for hanyous so strong that you would kill even your own nephew? Were you in with Naraku when he killed Michio and Toshiro?"  
  
"You. . . you're son?" Sesshomaru stuttered, this statement taking him completely by surprise. He was unaware that Kaiya had even gotten married, let alone had a son.  
  
"Answer me, Sesshomaru," Kaiya growled angrily, "Is your distaste for hanyous and humans so strong that you would kill even my son and husband?"  
  
"Yes," Sesshomaru responded, unsure if what he was saying was true, "I would."  
  
Instantly, Kaiya's hand pressed harder around his throat and fear filled Sesshomaru's eyes as he smelled a strong poison filling the air.  
  
"IwasnotwithNaraku,however," Sesshomaru said quickly, hoping that Kaiya would let him go or at least stop from attempting to melt his throat with her poison.  
  
"You what?" Kaiya asked him, loosening her grip somewhat and doing exactly what Sesshomaru had been hoping for.  
  
"I was not with Naraku when he went after them," Sesshomaru informed his twin sister. "I despise hanyous just as much as I despise humans, but I was not in with Naraku when your husband and son were killed."  
  
"You're not lying?"   
  
"No."  
  
Hearing this strangled response, Kaiya let go of her grasp on her twin's neck, who immediately grabbed her neck with his own right hand.   
  
"But the fact that you chose to fall for a human, Kaiya," he growled, pissed off that he had allowed her to once again get the better of him as he slammed his twin against the hard earthen ground, "Shows just how weak you really are. I knew that you were never really the stronger of us two." Quickly, Sesshomaru pressed harder on Kaiya's neck, releasing the very same poison that Kaiya had attempted to use against him. Kaiya only smiled. Without even attempting to respond to his comment, she quickly did a backwards summersault, surprising her twin sibling and making him release his hold of her throat. Not even waiting for him to get over the surprise offensive move, Kaiya quickly launched a karate kick at her brother, hitting him in the stomach and causing him to fly several feet in the air before slamming against a tree.   
  
Slowly, she walked over to her stunned twin. Standing over his stunned and sore figured, she smiled smugly and said, "Sesshomaru, never doubt which of us is the stronger. I may have fallen for a human, but I at least allowed my heart to be open to the chance of falling. Father, himself, fell for a human and he was not weak, he was a taiyoukai." She then turned and began to walk away. "Besides," she said, turning to have one last look at her twin, "I hear that you, yourself, have adopted a human child. Tell me, Sesshomaru, does that mean you are also becoming weak? Or is that you are finally allowing yourself to truly become strong?" With those as her final words, Kaiya walked away from her brother without a second look.  
  
"You stupid bitch," Sesshomaru muttered to himself as he attempted to stand, "One of these days you and I will fight and I will be victorious. Just because you were born a few minutes ahead of me does not make you better than me. I will kill you, Kaiya." With those as his final words, Sesshomaru stood to his feet and slowly, limped away. 


	2. Chapter 2: Sango's Feelings

By the time Kaiya rejoined Inuyasha's group the sky was just beginning to lighten overhead. "Where have you been all night, Kaiya?" were the first words out of Inuyasha's mouth when he saw his older sister approaching him. "I've been around," Kaiya replied with a shrug, sitting down beside the sleeping Miroku.  
"Around?" Inuyasha asked, with a raised eyebrow. Kaiya nodded, and Inuyasha decided not to press her. The brother and sister sat in silence after that, waiting for the others to wake up.  
  
The sun had already been in the sky for a few hours by the time that Kagome, Sango, and Miroku woke up, although once the group had awoken it did not take them long to set out on their journey. With Kagome carrying the still sleeping Shippo in her arms, the group continued to walk at a leisurely pace with Kagome and Inuyasha slightly ahead of the others. However, for some reason, this day, Sango had decided to walk slightly behind the rest of the group, watching Miroku and Kaiya.  
"I don't understand Miroku," Kagome complained to Inuyasha.  
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked her, having no idea what Kagome was talking about this time.  
"I thought he cared for Sango," Kagome explained. "Meh," Inuyasha said with a shrug.  
"Meh?" Kagome repeated.  
"Why is it any of our business?" Inuyasha asked, "Miroku falls for any girl he sees. As soon as he runs into another girl, he'll ask her to bear his child and forget all about Kaiya."  
"But Sango. . ." Kagome began.  
"Can take care of herself," Inuyasha interrupted her.  
Kagome glared at Inuyasha, not understanding his attitude. It was obvious that Sango's feelings were hurt by all the attention that Miroku was giving Kaiya, and the fact that Kaiya was giving that same attention back to Miroku was not helping the situation at all. "Inuyasha," Kagome began, annoyed with the hanyou's attitude, "SIT!" Immediately, Inuyasha slammed face-first into the ground.  
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Inuyasha cried out angrily as Kaiya and Miroku caught up with the two of them.  
"Hmph," was all Kagome said, then turned back to look at Sango who was walking with her head down. "Hmm, that's an interesting power, Kagome," Kaiya commented with a smile as she walked past her brother. "And knowing Inuyasha, probably very useful as well."  
"Oh, very useful, indeed," Miroku agreed with a nod and a smile, remembering all the times in the past when Kagome had had to use her SIT with Inuyasha.  
Inuyasha glared at Miroku and his older sister, considering whether or not to smack the monk. However, one look at Kagome told him that if he did, she would use another SIT command and Inuyasha was not in the mood for that to happen again. With an annoyed sigh, Inuyasha quickly marched in front of everyone else once again, so that he was leading the group of six. "What's pissed off Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, sleepily, having awoken just in time to see Inuyasha march past angrily. "It's nothing, Shippo," Kagome whispered to the little fox youkai. "It was just something stupid."  
"Figures," Shippo said, rolling his eyes. Kagome giggled and whispered, "Shippo, can you go walk with Miroku for a bit?" "Huh? Why?" Shippo asked. "I want to talk to Sango for a bit," Kagome informed the young child. Seeing the look of concern in Kagome's eyes, Shippo nodded, hopped out of her arms, and called out, "Miroku! Wait for me!" After making sure that no one else could hear her, Kagome smiled at her friend as Sango neared her. "Hey Sango."  
"Hi, Kagome," Sango replied, her tone not nearly as cheerful as it usually was "Sango, um . . .," Kagome began, unsure of how to say what she wanted to. "Yes?" Sango asked, turning her head to look at Kagome.  
"The, uh . . . with Kaiya and Miroku," Kagome said, stumbling to get the words out.  
"Yes?" Sango asked, her tone suddenly turning cold.  
"You know Miroku's just being Miroku, right?" Kagome asked, carefully, "You know that he probably doesn't mean anything by it, right?"  
"What do I care?" Sango asked, frowning.  
"Y. . . you mean you don't?" Kagome asked, dumbfounded.  
"Why should I?" Sango asked her friend.  
"Um," Kagome began, her face going pink, "No reason." Sango's not very good at lying, Kagome thought to herself, deciding not to press the matter with her friend. It's obvious that she cares for Miroku!  
For the rest of that day's journey the two girls walked in silence, while Kaiya and Miroku walked ahead of them flirting, and Inuyasha walked ahead of the entire group, still slightly upset about Kagome using SIT on him.  
  
The sun was just settting as the group settled down in a little forest clearning. The fire had just been started by Inuyasha and Kagome when Sango announced that she was going to go for a little walk. Once Sango was gone, Kagome walked over to Kaiya and Miroku. "Um, excuse me, Kaiya?" Kagome began.  
"What is it, Kagome?" Kaiya asked, seeing the anxious look on Kagome's face. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" Kagome asked, then looking at Miroku, "Privately." Curious to know what was worrying her, Kaiya nodded. "Of course," the youkai replied, standing to her full height. "We'll be back in a bit," she informed the others and quickly Kagome and Inuyasha's sister set off. "What is it, Kagome?" Kaiya asked, after they had been walking in silence for a bit.  
"It's about Miroku," Kagome began. "Hmm," Kaiya said, suddenly having an idea why she had been asked to talk privately.  
"Yes, and Sango," Kagome continued, "It's just that, Sango has feelings for Miroku and, well, I'm pretty sure that Miroku has feelings for Sango as well, but. . ."  
"You're afraid that I'm coming inbetween them?" Kaiya interrupted.  
"Yeah," Kagome admitted, "I mean, it's just that. . ."  
Kaiya smiled and shook her head, stopping Kagome's attempt at defending herself. "Don't worry, Kagome," the youkai replied, "Miroku is a handsome man, but I'm not ready for anything like that. It's just, when I'm around him and we're flirting it helps me to take my mind off of everything that happened with Toshiro and Michio. It helps to lighten my mood, I guess." "But you'd never want anything serious to come of it?" Kagome asked.  
Kaiya shook her head. "No," she replied, "I would never want anything serious from Miroku. I'm not ready for that, I'm not sure if I ever will be again." "Oh," Kagome said, suddenly feeling horrible for even thinking that Kaiya would have wanted anything serious from him. How could she even have thought that when it had not been that long ago that Kaiya's husband and son had been murdered!  
"Although that does explain the cold attitude I've been getting from Sango," Kaiya sighed. Then, with a small smile, she said, "I suppose I should straighten things out with her."  
"That might be a good idea," Kagome agreed.  
"Come on then," Kaiya said.  
"Huh?"  
"I'm going to walk you back before I go look for Sango," Inuyasha's sister replied, "He may not want to admit this, but Inuyasha cares for you a lot, Kagome. Trust me when I say he'd kill me if I let anything happen to you." Kagome smiled and tried to hide her cheeks which had suddenly gone bright red. She knew that Inuyasha cared for her a lot, but there were still a lot of confusing issues that still had to be sorted out first. One of them being how Inuyasha felt for Kikyou. It did not take long for the two girls to reach the little clearing, and as she had said, once she dropped Kagome off, Kaiya left in the direction where Sango had gone.  
  
I was stupid for thinking anything could ever happen with me and Houshi-sama, Sango thought quietly to herself for about the hundredth time as she stared out at the water in front of her. In walking away from the group, the youkai exterminator had managed to find a quiet riverside, which was where she had decided to stop and think for a bit. Why did I even let myself think that? Sango wondered, trying to stop the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. I shouldn't be concerning myself with those types of feelings. I should be concentrating on finding and killing Naraku so that I can free Kohaku. She was just about to get up and head back when she suddenly felt someone approach her. Quickly, she stood to her feet and grabbed Hiraikotsu, ready to attack if need be. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sango," came a voice that the young youkai exterminator recognized.  
"Kaiya?" Sango asked, slightly unsure. Suddenly, the figure stepped from behind the trees and Sango recognized the easily distinguishable white hair and yellow eyes.  
"Hello, Sango," Kaiya said with a small smile.  
"What are you doing here?" Sango asked, somewhat suspicious as to why Inuyasha's sister had come in search of her.  
"Sango," Kaiya began, "Could we sit down and talk for a bit, please?" "Um, sure," Sango replied, relaxing her grip on Hiraikotsu. Why did Kaiya want to talk her?  
Once the youkai and the youkai exterminator were sitting down, facing the river, Kaiya began the conversation, saying, "I want you to know that there's nothing going on between me and Miroku."  
"W. . . why would I care if there was?" Sango asked, immediately going on the defensive.  
"Then is there some other reason why you seem to dislike having me around?" Kaiya asked. Sango turned her head to look at Kaiya. "Do you know which village I have come from?" she asked the youkai.  
"From the looks of your weapon," Inuyasha's sister began, "It looks like you came from the youkai exterminator village." "Shouldn't that answer your question?" Sango asked, thinking that it would be obvious, and at the same time knowing that she was lying.  
"It should," Kaiya agreed, "But I've had experience with other youkai exterminators, Sango. I know that they don't automatically hate every youkai they meet, unless they have some reason to. Personally, I can't think of any other reason you'd have to dislike me so much."  
At this, Sango remained silent. Kaiya sighed, and seeing that she wasn't going to be getting a response, she continued, "There is nothing that is going on, or will go on between me and Miroku. Sango, the reason why I act the way I do around Miroku is because it's easier for me to act like that. Acting the way I do allows me to put my mind on other matters. If I didn't act like this, then I would be completely and entirely depressed, my heart would be consumed with grief for my husband and son. And it's not that it isn't anyways, but at least, when Miroku and I talk it allows my mind to drift somewhat. I also think that you understand what I mean by that, don't you?"  
"Why do I care if there's anything going on with you and Miroku?" Sango repeated. Kaiya sighed. "I'm not asking you to admit your feelings for him, Sango. But just know that what I'm telling you is the truth. And I think on some level, you understand what I'm going through. I know what happened to your village, and I am sorry. I know that I can never understand your loss exactly because, while you lost everyone who was important to you, I still have Inuyasha, and, I hate to admit it, but I still have Sesshomaru, too, who for some reason I also care about." As Kaiya mentioned her village, tears began to form in Sango's eyes. The young youkai exterminator, however, chose to ignore them, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. Kaiya sighed. She knew that Sango was trying to be strong, but she just wished that the young girl knew that she didn't have to rely only on herself. "Sango, please think about what I just said, okay?" the youkai asked the young exterminator, then, without waiting for a response, Kaiya stood up and walked away from the girl, into the woods, leaving Sango by herself once more.  
  
Kaiya's husband: Toshiro Kaiya's son: Michio 


	3. Chapter 3: Kaiya's Experience

Once Kaiya had left, Sango sighed and stared out at the water some more, thinking about everything the youkai had said. Just the memories of what had happened to her village made tears begin to well up in her eyes, and she bit her lip. Inuyasha's sister was right; she had no idea how Sango felt. But then again, Sango thought, I've never lost a child or a husband. The youkai exterminator sighed as she stood to her feet. Although Kaiya may not have lost everyone she had ever cared about, she was the only person among the people Sango was traveling with who might at least have some true idea about the grief that still consumed Sango's heart. While Sango was not happy about Kaiya's flirting with Miroku, she did understand what Kaiya had told her about it helping to distract her. She probably would have done the same thing had she not been possessed with the hatred she felt at Naraku for him having tricked her. Quietly, Sango turned and began to walk back to the group's campsite.  
  
Kaiya sighed as she stared out over the riverbanks. She had originally left Sango with the intention of returning to Inuyasha and the others, but her conversation with the young youkai exterminator had left Sesshomaru's twin feeling depressed and unprepared to face the others so soon. Her flirtation with Miroku earlier during the day had helped to take her mind off of the duty she must fulfill in order to avenge her husband and son. And while it had been fun, she also wondered what right did she really have to invade on Sango's territory? Obviously Miroku had enjoyed the flirtation because he had flirted right back with Kaiya, but was it really worth it in the end? If it wound up hurting someone like Sango, who had already been through so much pain, was a little distraction really worth it? With a sigh, Kaiya flicked a blade of grass into the water and lay down so that she was facing the stars. Then, closing her eyes, she smiled as memories of days gone by with her husband and her son enveloped her… The day she and Toshiro first met; the day she and Toshiro had discovered she was pregnant; the day Michio was born, and so on. Thinking of the happier days in the past, Kaiya began to drift off to sleep. Lying on the river bank, Kaiya was almost completely asleep when the worst memory she possessed suddenly hit her like a lightening bolt. Lying there, she had been originally thinking of only a few weeks before they had been killed when Michio and Toshiro had both returned home from a day of successful fishing, when the memory of the day she had found them dead suddenly intruded and ruined the rest of the memories. Suddenly, she saw herself in her mind as she returned home from a morning walk only to discover that Toshiro and Michio did respond when she called their names. This, in itself was unusual, but at the time she had shrugged it off, assuming that they had gone fishing once again -- ever since they had found Shikon no Tama shards, their father and son fishing trips had become more and more frequent as they were becoming quite successful. Still with a smile on her face, Kaiya remembered, she had gone walking up to their cabin, only to have her heart break upon entering. As soon as she had opened the door, Kaiya could tell that something was not right. Toshiro and Michio had left the fire burning in the middle of the home; had the two of them gone out fishing, they would have put it out beforehand. Toshiro, himself, was always the one who made sure that the fire was out. That was one of the things that had always endeared him to Kaiya. Even though he knew that she was a youkai with incredible powers, he was always worried that something would happen to her and wanted to protect her whenever he could.  
That was why that day the combination of the lit fire and their lack of responsive to her calling their names alarmed her. It was then that she heard the strangled cry from several yards away. Fear filled Kaiya. She knew that voice! As fast as lightning, Kaiya ran from the cabin and towards the direction of the voice. She arrived their just in time to see her son attempting to fight this large spider youkai. Rage filled her Kaiya and immediately, she transformed into her true self and attacked the youkai that DARED TO THREATEN HER FAMILY! The moment that it saw her, it smiled and went to approach her, but for some reason unknown it seemed to change its' mind and turned the other way. Kaiya was about to chase after when she heard her son say in a strangled voice, "Mom." Without a second thought, Kaiya forgot the creature and turned to her son who was obviously in pain. Looking at him, she could tell why. Even though he had been fighting against the spider youkai, it was a battle that was too great for a young hanyou, especially one who had never been taught to fight. Michio had wounds all over his body; wounds that Kaiya knew, even if they were healed, he would never be the same; his left arm was almost completely severed. Transforming into her human self, she asked him, "Yes?" "The . . . Shi. . . Shi. . ." Michio struggled.  
"The Shikon no Tama shards?" Kaiya asked, not knowing what else would be so important for Michio to get out. Michio smiled even though it hurt him to do so, and attempted a nod but failed.  
"Is that why that youkai attacked you two?" Kaiya asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Only a few feet away lay the body of her husband, Toshiro; she could already tell that he was dead, obviously from an attempt to protect their son. "Naraku," Michio stated. Kaiya frowned, wondering what Michio was getting at. "Naraku?" she began, then realization sweeping over her. She had heard that their was a powerful youkai hunting Shikon no Tama shards with that name. "Was that the youkai who attacked you?" Michio just smiled, knowing that he could not nod and Kaiya bit her lip in an useless attempt to stop the tears from falling. Without a word, Michio placed his hand in his mother's and then collapsed. Kaiya shuddered with pain, knowing that their was nothing she could do. Quickly, she opened Michio's palm and saw that in his hand held the Shikon no Tama shards that he and his father had collected. Then, not caring about anything else except for the loss she had just suffered Kaiya let out a howl that carried her pain for miles around…  
  
From up in a tree, Naraku smiled as he watched his latest creation go to work. His latest "offspring" had the ability to make you relive your worst memories time and time again so that you would go insane. This of course, leaving his enemies weak and useless so that he could grab their Shikon no Tama shards whenever he wanted. However, seeing this familiar youkai lie their in pain as she relived the murders he, himself, had committed to her husband and son. Those were two murders that he had enjoyed committing, however, he did not stay to collect the Shikon shards once he saw her appear. He was Naraku, after all. And he was not stupid. He had been able to see from the rage in her eyes that she would have killed him in one swipe. He had been prepared to face such a strong youkai that day. Now, though, was a different story and he enjoyed watching someone who had stolen such an easy victory from his grasp relive their worst memories. He grinned to himself as he thought to himself the next victim he would give to his offspring.  
  
Inuyasha. 


End file.
